Summary & Reaction 1 (Scholarly Article):
The student stress survey was used among one hundred undergraduate students at a Mid-sized Midwestern University to determine the major sources of their stress. Twenty males and eighty females with a variety of grade levels were selected out of a national co-ed fraternity to be surveyed. Students were asked which factors within four different categories, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, environmental, and Academic, gave them the most stress. Within the Academic category seventy-three of the one hundred students reported that the increased workload placed on them caused them the most stress. This was the highest stressor within the academic category and fourth highest stressor overall among students. The stress placed on these students due to their workloads is greater than the stress associated with the death of family members or even starting college (Ross).
This increased workload is a huge source of stress among all students no matter their grade level. More is constantly expected of them within the same time frame. The time spent in class, getting the work done, studying, and preparing for the next class has risen so much that spending time on other things in life is almost impossible. From Kindergarten to College, students are facing the increased workloads pushed upon them and must deal with the resulting stress. In order for students to learn and grow to their full potentials, they can not constantly be exposed to this extreme stress. For students to properly learn, they need to be pushed just the right amount and not overly stressed everyday.
Ross, S., Niebling, B., & Heckert, T. (1999). Sources of stress among college students. College Student Journal, 33(2), 312-312. Retrieved November 24, 2015, from http://www.rose-hulman.edu/StudentAffairs/ra/files/CLSK/PDF/Section Two Instructor Resources/Sources of Stress Among College Students.pdf
Summary & Reaction 2 (Editorial/Opinion):
Students are facing a new challenge nowadays, a greater workload then ever seen before. A student’s daily routine would go something like this: wake up, eat, school, come home, eat, homework, sleep. There are many things wrong with this schedule, most importantly there’s no time for any extracurricular activities. Most students don’t even get to sleep as much as they should. Most students reported that they spend late nights catching up on school work, leaving them with very little sleep for the next day. Not only is this lack of sleep harmful to a student’s education but physically as well. Many teachers believe that students should only receive 2 hours of homework a night for all their classes combined, but on average students reported having over three hours of work a night. Although most teachers do believe this is wrong, they don’t work together to ensure the students don’t go past that two-hour mark (Lee, "The struggle to balance heavy workloads with extracurricular activities").
The good part about this situation is that teachers realize the problems themselves. The know that the students are receiving too much work and that it should be cut down to at least two hours a night. But the bad part, most teachers aren’t willing to collaborate with all the different classes to ensure nobody gives top much work on any particular night. If teachers were able to work together and had a simple way of organizing everything, this would not even be an issue. But, until they can devise a system which limits workloads, students will continue to experience extreme amounts of stress, little time for extracurricular activities, and a severe loss in sleep.
Lee, J., & Colbert-Reagan, B. (2011, December 9). The struggle to balance heavy workloads with extracurricular activities. The Sagamore. Retrieved November 24, 2015, from http://thesagonline.com/2011/12/the-struggle-to-balance-heavy-workloads-with-extracurricular- activities/#comments Summary & Reaction 3 (Newspaper):
Increased workloads have had a negative effect on the psychological well being of nearly everyone. Blood pressure, heart health, stability of relationships, and safety in the workplace have all been effected. The increased stress faced by those with large workloads reported feelings of emotional distress and serious reductions in their overall feelings of well-being. All these factors play into physical health issues such as high blood pressure. On days where workload is increased, Blood pressure would immediately rise due to the immediate effects, causing higher risks for heart attacks and other heart health problems. Along with the many heart health problems associated, the higher stress levels can lead to more frequent family conflicts. Increased hostile and argumentative behaviors in the home environment can result in decreased family stability. Stress levels have a huge impact onnot only mental well-being, but physical well-being and relationships as well (Thompson, "Negative effects of a heavy workload").
The health risks associated with a student’s increased workload is tremendous. From high blood pressure, to psychological state, to major heart issues, increased workloads and stress puts many students at risk daily. These risks are not worth it for students in any way. By simply decreasing their workloads to a normal amount a night, we can not only educate the children better but also keep them safe.
The stress students are facing have serious psychological and medical affects, self harm in particular. Many students turn to self harm because it puts them back in control of their own pain and surroundings. There are many signs of self-harm, drastic changes in appearance, extreme weight loss or gain, and excessive drinking just to name a few. If anyone is suspected of harming themselves, those around them should keep all lines of communication open at all times and provide constant support. Self-harm is huge issue among stressed teenagers around the world due to the severe stress placed upon them (Kirkland, "Stress in students could lead to depression and self harm").
A students well-being and safety should always be the number one priority and concern. There should not be students so stressed out over their school work that it results in them harming themselves, but sadly that is reality in todays world. But, there is an easy fix to this problem. If the students’ workloads in school were decreased down to a mere two hours of homework a night, the level of stress students faced would drop drastically along with the self-harm associated with it. With just a simple reduction in work, many students’ lives and mental well-beings can be saved.
Kirkland, A. (2012, November 21). Stress in students could lead to depression and self harm. Lubbock Avalanche Journal (TX).
Summary & Reaction 5 (Reputable Website):
A new study has found that large amounts of homework can negatively effect the lives of students and result in excess stress and physical problems. Students reported that they received an average of 3.1 hours of homework per night. Many teachers debate the importance of homework and how much of an impact it truly has on students. But, author Alfie Kohn argues that there is no research that shows that excessive homework in elementary and middle schools have any benefit or correlation between achievement in high school. Clearly this is a very controversial topic, many believe and have research that says that the excess homework is “inherently good” for students learning. Most importantly, when students were asked how they felt on the homework debate, less than 1% said that homework was not a huge stressor for them. So whether or not homework is academically beneficial, mentally it gives students excessive amounts of stress that they don’t necessarily need. A majority amount of 72% of students reported the majority of their stress being from excessive homework and 82% of them reported experiencing at least one physical symptom linked to the excessive stress. And not only does it all take a huge toll on a students well-being, but they also don’t have time for anything else in life. “There is hardly any time for me to enjoy being a kid when I have to go to school all day and then go home and do homework all night,” students are not meeting their developmental needs or discovering other critical life skills. Clearly the great homework debate between teachers isn’t taking into account the other physical and mental tolls being put on individual student and the health implication they must face. Students are facing more problems from homework than anything else in life. The increased homework causes so many physical and mental issues that it is clearly not worth it. Whether or not it has academic benefits, the health hazards and stress outweigh it. Students should not have to deal with all this excess stress so early in their childhood. Kids should be able to be carefree and have fun with friends and outside of class, and not have to worry about homework 24/7.
Overall Reaction The increased workloads being placed on students are causing excess amounts of stress. Kids don't need and can't handle so much stress and anxiety this early in their life. Their childhoods should be spend "being kids" and not constantly worrying about extra school work. Students nowadays receive over three hours of homework daily, leaving absolutely no room for extracurricular activities that kids need. This places a lot of stress on them to get everything done that they need to. This stress takes not only a mental, but physical toll on a students well-being. Not only does it expose children to unnecessary anxiety and stress problems, but the health implications are endless! High blood pressure, heart problems, and even self-harm account for the most common health problems associated. Self-harm has been a growing problem for teens overwhelmed with schoolwork and real life. Clearly the stress, anxiety, and physical toll hinders a students performance. Obviously a student will not be able to perform to the highest expectations if their mind is filled and distracted with stress or if they are having health problems outside of class. The health and safety of a student is the number one priority and these new workloads are placing them in danger physically and educationally.
How does this research help us identify or refine a strategy to improve schools in Rhode Island?
The Rhode Island Strategic Plan is doing a lot to help reform the schools of RI to be more beneficial to students, but more should be getting done about the workloads of students. A greater plan should be in place to help limit the amount of homework a student receives each night and students should be monitored to ensure their stress levels aren't affecting them. Instead of teachers having free reign to assign as much homework as they want, there should be a time limit placed on each and every class. Each teacher should be allowed to assign no more than 20 min of homework a night and large projects should be factored into that time as well. If a teacher assumes a large project would take an average student an hour, the student should be given the assignment weeks in advance so they can use a few minutes, out of that classes 20 min allowance, to work on it. Homework should be monitored by educators and limited for the students sake. This issue should be a larger part of Rhode Islands Strategic plan as well as a greater issue for American education all together.
How has the change in students' workloads affected a students' stress and ability to learn?
Author: Jamie Butalewicz
Interactive Presentation on the effects of stress and workloads on students
Summary & Reaction 1 (Scholarly Article):
The student stress survey was used among one hundred undergraduate students at a Mid-sized Midwestern University to determine the major sources of their stress. Twenty males and eighty females with a variety of grade levels were selected out of a national co-ed fraternity to be surveyed. Students were asked which factors within four different categories, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, environmental, and Academic, gave them the most stress. Within the Academic category seventy-three of the one hundred students reported that the increased workload placed on them caused them the most stress. This was the highest stressor within the academic category and fourth highest stressor overall among students. The stress placed on these students due to their workloads is greater than the stress associated with the death of family members or even starting college (Ross).
This increased workload is a huge source of stress among all students no matter their grade level. More is constantly expected of them within the same time frame. The time spent in class, getting the work done, studying, and preparing for the next class has risen so much that spending time on other things in life is almost impossible. From Kindergarten to College, students are facing the increased workloads pushed upon them and must deal with the resulting stress. In order for students to learn and grow to their full potentials, they can not constantly be exposed to this extreme stress. For students to properly learn, they need to be pushed just the right amount and not overly stressed everyday.
Ross, S., Niebling, B., & Heckert, T. (1999). Sources of stress among college students. College Student Journal, 33(2), 312-312. Retrieved November 24, 2015, from http://www.rose-hulman.edu/StudentAffairs/ra/files/CLSK/PDF/Section Two Instructor Resources/Sources of Stress Among College Students.pdf
Summary & Reaction 2 (Editorial/Opinion):
Students are facing a new challenge nowadays, a greater workload then ever seen before. A student’s daily routine would go something like this: wake up, eat, school, come home, eat, homework, sleep. There are many things wrong with this schedule, most importantly there’s no time for any extracurricular activities. Most students don’t even get to sleep as much as they should. Most students reported that they spend late nights catching up on school work, leaving them with very little sleep for the next day. Not only is this lack of sleep harmful to a student’s education but physically as well. Many teachers believe that students should only receive 2 hours of homework a night for all their classes combined, but on average students reported having over three hours of work a night. Although most teachers do believe this is wrong, they don’t work together to ensure the students don’t go past that two-hour mark (Lee, "The struggle to balance heavy workloads with extracurricular activities").
The good part about this situation is that teachers realize the problems themselves. The know that the students are receiving too much work and that it should be cut down to at least two hours a night. But the bad part, most teachers aren’t willing to collaborate with all the different classes to ensure nobody gives top much work on any particular night. If teachers were able to work together and had a simple way of organizing everything, this would not even be an issue. But, until they can devise a system which limits workloads, students will continue to experience extreme amounts of stress, little time for extracurricular activities, and a severe loss in sleep.
Lee, J., & Colbert-Reagan, B. (2011, December 9). The struggle to balance heavy workloads with
extracurricular activities. The Sagamore. Retrieved November 24, 2015, from
http://thesagonline.com/2011/12/the-struggle-to-balance-heavy-workloads-with-extracurricular-
activities/#comments
Summary & Reaction 3 (Newspaper):
Increased workloads have had a negative effect on the psychological well being of nearly everyone. Blood pressure, heart health, stability of relationships, and safety in the workplace have all been effected. The increased stress faced by those with large workloads reported feelings of emotional distress and serious reductions in their overall feelings of well-being. All these factors play into physical health issues such as high blood pressure. On days where workload is increased, Blood pressure would immediately rise due to the immediate effects, causing higher risks for heart attacks and other heart health problems. Along with the many heart health problems associated, the higher stress levels can lead to more frequent family conflicts. Increased hostile and argumentative behaviors in the home environment can result in decreased family stability. Stress levels have a huge impact onnot only mental well-being, but physical well-being and relationships as well (Thompson, "Negative effects of a heavy workload").
The health risks associated with a student’s increased workload is tremendous. From high blood pressure, to psychological state, to major heart issues, increased workloads and stress puts many students at risk daily. These risks are not worth it for students in any way. By simply decreasing their workloads to a normal amount a night, we can not only educate the children better but also keep them safe.
Thompson, S. (n.d.). Negative effects of a heavy workload. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 25, 2015, from
http://work.chron.com/negative-effects-heavy-workload-10097.html
Summary & Reaction 4 (POV database):
The stress students are facing have serious psychological and medical affects, self harm in particular. Many students turn to self harm because it puts them back in control of their own pain and surroundings. There are many signs of self-harm, drastic changes in appearance, extreme weight loss or gain, and excessive drinking just to name a few. If anyone is suspected of harming themselves, those around them should keep all lines of communication open at all times and provide constant support. Self-harm is huge issue among stressed teenagers around the world due to the severe stress placed upon them (Kirkland, "Stress in students could lead to depression and self harm").
A students well-being and safety should always be the number one priority and concern. There should not be students so stressed out over their school work that it results in them harming themselves, but sadly that is reality in todays world. But, there is an easy fix to this problem. If the students’ workloads in school were decreased down to a mere two hours of homework a night, the level of stress students faced would drop drastically along with the self-harm associated with it. With just a simple reduction in work, many students’ lives and mental well-beings can be saved.
Kirkland, A. (2012, November 21). Stress in students could lead to depression and self
harm. Lubbock Avalanche Journal (TX).
Summary & Reaction 5 (Reputable Website):
A new study has found that large amounts of homework can negatively effect the lives of students and result in excess stress and physical problems. Students reported that they received an average of 3.1 hours of homework per night. Many teachers debate the importance of homework and how much of an impact it truly has on students. But, author Alfie Kohn argues that there is no research that shows that excessive homework in elementary and middle schools have any benefit or correlation between achievement in high school. Clearly this is a very controversial topic, many believe and have research that says that the excess homework is “inherently good” for students learning. Most importantly, when students were asked how they felt on the homework debate, less than 1% said that homework was not a huge stressor for them. So whether or not homework is academically beneficial, mentally it gives students excessive amounts of stress that they don’t necessarily need. A majority amount of 72% of students reported the majority of their stress being from excessive homework and 82% of them reported experiencing at least one physical symptom linked to the excessive stress. And not only does it all take a huge toll on a students well-being, but they also don’t have time for anything else in life. “There is hardly any time for me to enjoy being a kid when I have to go to school all day and then go home and do homework all night,” students are not meeting their developmental needs or discovering other critical life skills. Clearly the great homework debate between teachers isn’t taking into account the other physical and mental tolls being put on individual student and the health implication they must face.
Students are facing more problems from homework than anything else in life. The increased homework causes so many physical and mental issues that it is clearly not worth it. Whether or not it has academic benefits, the health hazards and stress outweigh it. Students should not have to deal with all this excess stress so early in their childhood. Kids should be able to be carefree and have fun with friends and outside of class, and not have to worry about homework 24/7.
Strauss, V. (2014, March 13). Homework hurts high-achieving students, study says. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2015, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/13/homework-hurts-high-achieving-students-study-says/
Overall Reaction
The increased workloads being placed on students are causing excess amounts of stress. Kids don't need and can't handle so much stress and anxiety this early in their life. Their childhoods should be spend "being kids" and not constantly worrying about extra school work. Students nowadays receive over three hours of homework daily, leaving absolutely no room for extracurricular activities that kids need. This places a lot of stress on them to get everything done that they need to. This stress takes not only a mental, but physical toll on a students well-being. Not only does it expose children to unnecessary anxiety and stress problems, but the health implications are endless! High blood pressure, heart problems, and even self-harm account for the most common health problems associated. Self-harm has been a growing problem for teens overwhelmed with schoolwork and real life. Clearly the stress, anxiety, and physical toll hinders a students performance. Obviously a student will not be able to perform to the highest expectations if their mind is filled and distracted with stress or if they are having health problems outside of class. The health and safety of a student is the number one priority and these new workloads are placing them in danger physically and educationally.
How does this research help us identify or refine a strategy to improve schools in Rhode Island?
The Rhode Island Strategic Plan is doing a lot to help reform the schools of RI to be more beneficial to students, but more should be getting done about the workloads of students. A greater plan should be in place to help limit the amount of homework a student receives each night and students should be monitored to ensure their stress levels aren't affecting them. Instead of teachers having free reign to assign as much homework as they want, there should be a time limit placed on each and every class. Each teacher should be allowed to assign no more than 20 min of homework a night and large projects should be factored into that time as well. If a teacher assumes a large project would take an average student an hour, the student should be given the assignment weeks in advance so they can use a few minutes, out of that classes 20 min allowance, to work on it. Homework should be monitored by educators and limited for the students sake. This issue should be a larger part of Rhode Islands Strategic plan as well as a greater issue for American education all together.